Album Review: MAREENA & JAKOJAKO - ATLAS DER GEDANKEN (Edition DUR 13)

Mareena is a DJ and runs her own ambient label Unrush, and JakoJako, also a DJ, recently released an EP on Mute. Two years ago, they made a joint album “Atlas of Thoughts” digitally available, on which the two artists dedicate themselves to their interpretation of ambient.

For the “Atlas of Thoughts”, JakoJako worked exclusively with modular synthesizers, while Mareena made music with digital production software. Their oscillating sounds, their pulsating rhythms lead us into the vastness of the world and into the depths of the ego; if you close your eyes while listening, you look outwards and inwards at the same time. Thus, the “Atlas of Thought” is also the best update of psychedelic music that we currently possess: there is no longer any difference between the familiar and the foreign.

The centerpiece of the album, “Mut Zur Wahrheit”, plunges heavy, whispered truths into gloomy depths. It is worlds away from the spirited ping-pong percussion of “Sinnessprung” and the bright, optimistic sounds that follow, but shows the impressive range of a duo that primarily creates atmospherically hypnotic soundscapes that create a deliberate decelerating effect on the listener.

Check out: Sinnessprung

The introspection of two souls is felt in this masterpiece: „Atlas der Gedanken“. JakoJako and Mareena are siblings in spirit, striving towards common goals: rooted in similar traditions, juxtaposed to create suspenseful tensions. You can find peace and serenity in their music; but it also takes you to higher places: weightless. With their music you enter a space where you immediately feel at home, simultaneously you never forget that you remain a mystery to yourself.

Verdict: A wonderful collaboration that has brought two talented artists together to produce a brilliant collection of ambient work. From compositions that Shimmer like warm sunlight on the surface of still waters to ones that go below the surface, into the depths, creating a feeling of solace and wonderment. The music transcends the listener beyond the conceptual sphere of our actual world to places of balance and undeniable positive energy, taking you to undiscovered worlds of the imagination. Pure Bliss.